The "Stepmother"

She is the live-in girlfriend of Thomas, the husband of a friend.  Her name is Kari and she calls herself "the stepmother."  Kari and Thomas were cheating on his wife for a number of years and had a child together.  Who knows when he was planning on either leaving Kari or telling his wife, my friend, Winnie?  Why did he wait so long until the point of no return?

Anyway, Winnie found out about the cheating and new baby and immediately filed for divorce.  As the divorce is not yet final, Kari and Thomas are now living together with her child by a former 'liason,' their baby, and sometimes, Winnie and Thomas' three children. Perhaps Kari assumes that Thomas will marry her as soon as the ink is dry on his divorce papers.  So she calls herself "the stepmother."

Since Winnie and her children moved out to a small apartment, Kari and Thomas and the assorted children are living in Thomas' large, suburban home.  The neighbors are not happy about this.  She is loud and obnoxious.  Thomas' friends and co-workers are not happy about the way he cheated on Winnie.  Will he keep his job?  Winnie's friends, of course, want nothing whatsoever to do with 'the other woman.' Thomas' family wonder out loud, "Where did we go wrong with him?"  Thomas himself looks very unhappy and very confused.

Recently, I ran into the stepmother and she knew who I was and introduced herself.  Naturally, I tried hard to act like this was a perfectly normal situation (you know, " love the sinner, hate the sin") and not be judgmental.  Yet, with swirling children and dogs, it was difficult.  I was glad to be on the periphery of this complicated situation.

Do I wish Thomas and Kari well?  In my heart, I'm sorry to say, "No."  I know how stabbingly painful this has been to Winnie and her children, and also to us, her friends and family.  I feel like the two cheaters truly deserve each other.  Will I pray for everyone involved?  Yes, yes, yes!  I know that God brings good out of every situation of hurt.  It may not be apparent for many years, but it will happen.

Dear Lord, each and everyone directly and indirectly involved in this messed-up family is hurting badly.  We trust you will sort things out well.  Please help us 'watchers' just pray and be supportive!